The core of OpenStreetMap is a collection of map data which can be used for many different purposes. You can get a first idea browsing the world map on the main page of OpenStreetMap. While browsing, try the Layers button on the right to view different map formats. It illustrates how OpenStreetMaps's data can be used in diverse manners.

Because everybody can use OpenStreetMap's data with very few restrictions, many different third party services are built on OpenStreetMap's data. Much of the value of OpenStreetMap lies in this variety of services. Each one serves you different information, and each one does so in a different way. There is much more information available through these services which you can't see on the OpenStreetMap world map.

Further, though we only talked about 'map data', OpenStreetMap is used for other purposes than maps, too.

Many projects continuously improve their maps. Since they are all limited by the available information in the OpenStreetMap data collection, contributing map data is a good way to support them. ÖPNVkarte, a free public transport map, is a good example. The picture on the right shows the well mapped public transport system of Berlin. You can visit the project's page to discover regions of the world with less public transport information available in the OpenStreetMap data collection.

GIS software

Many available GIS software is proprietary, closed source, and quite expensive. Often they operate with data in a proprietary data format. OpenStreetMap data, in contrast, is open. To achieve interoperability, there is a whole bunch of tools converting map data from/ to OpenStreetMap data, including support for the popular ESRI Shapefiles and PostGIS format. We try to document any special interoperability with OpenStreetMap for each GIS software. Try a search with the form on the top right of this page for your particular GIS software, or browse our GIS software category (use Category:Software as long as the previous doesn't exist). There is also open source GIS software working together with OpenStreetMap.

Education

Students learning the OpenStreetMap editing process, giving an introduction to GIS during a course at a university in London.

OpenStreetMap is being used within education, in schools, universities and colleges in a wide range of disciplines. Some projects involve only the use of existing OpenStreetMap data, while others result in additional data within the OpenStreetMap data collection. The OpenStreetMap project is used in teaching geography, mathematics, ecology, community planning and technology.